Kentucky Senate Committee Advances Fix to 2012 Pill Mill Legislation

A bill addressing issues with 2012's pill mill bill has cleared a state Senate committee, less than a day after it cleared the full House.

The bill calls off some regulations of the 2012 House Bill 1, which cracked down on prescription pain clinics and abuse.

It also exempts hospitals and long term care facilities from pulling KASPER reports every time they prescribe medication.

And while some regulations are being pulled back, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear said the teeth in the original law are still strong.

"I can tell you when you review this bill, you will see there is no retreat here," Beshear said. We're not going to retreat one inch from the very aggressive commitment we've got to battle this scourge that's upon us."

The bill also exempts hospitals and long term care facilities from pulling prescribing reports every time they administer medication to someone.

"We never intended to have hospitals run, for example a KASPER report, every time a pill was given to a patient in a hospital," said House Speaker Stumbo, a Democrat.

The Senate Judiciary committee also passed House Bill 8, which broadens definitions of illegal synthetic drugs and also toughens the ability for people who have meth-related convictions to get pseudoephedrine products over the counter.